Phone Box

[Chris Bennett]

It's like what I think a Picasso photograph might look like. Wonderful.

Thanks Brian. That's very much appreciated.

 

[Pete Askew]

I'm with Dave. This character has a spot of the Jack Nicholson / Shining about him! Just brilliant.

 

[Chris Bennett]

I found myself with a fish-eye lens to play with. Well what could I do but explore the possibilities? After enjoying the super distortion thing for a while, I thought to use it to get a different perspective on the view through the glass of our favourite phone box. There were a few that merit showing, I think, so here's the first.

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

I found myself with a fish-eye lens to play with. Well what could I do but explore the possibilities? After enjoying the super distortion thing for a while, I thought to use it to get a different perspective on the view through the glass of our favourite phone box. There were a few that merit showing, I think, so here's the first.

Another great image. I'm a little curious as to what is actually happening here, in terms of perspective. It doesn't look very fisheye if you see what I mean, but I can't quite work out the coffee cup at top left!

 

[Chris Bennett]

Hi Stevenson, glad you like it and thanks for your comment.
It is a bit confusing, isn't it? The coffee cup is actually a reflection in the phone box glass of the display in a shop window which was behind me.
The reason for the lack of fishiness will be partly because of the heavy crop that was necessary to get the square aspect ratio that I have settled on for this series of images.

 

[Chris Bennett]

Another wide one (17mm) from my foray with the Pentax fish-eye lens on my wife's Pentax KP

 

[Dave Farnes]

Another fine pair of images. All the markings on the glass gives them an impressionist feel.

 

[Chris Bennett]

Another fine pair of images. All the markings on the glass gives them an impressionist feel.

Thanks Dave.

 

[Chris Bennett]

This one is my favourite, I think, from the fishy session.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Another cracker, Chris. Her burden may be heavy, but the colours are Leiter...

 

[Chris Bennett]

Thanks Rob. Much appreciated

 

[Pete Askew]

The wider angle leads to the glass become an effect-filter and while that excludes the 'frame' of the phone box window, these are still really effective. The partial obscuring of the subject makes you look closer / for longer. I like them very much.

 

[Chris Bennett]

Sony a6000/Sigma 30mm f/1.4

 

[Chris Bennett]

Sony a6000/Sigma 30mm f/1.4

I've been photographing life through this phone box now since October 2020 and this is just the third time I've seen it being used for it's proper purpose!

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

Sony a6000/Sigma 30mm f/1.4

I've been photographing life through this phone box now since October 2020 and this is just the third time I've seen it being used for it's proper purpose!

I really like this series. Is the (unsuspecting but immortalized) phone box a pay phone? I wonder, because round here, some boxes have been abolished, and the remaining phones are now free to use, at least for local calls... I think they don't want to do away with them altogether (for public safety I guess) but probably it was costing them more to empty the coins then it was earning.

 

[Chris Bennett]

Hi,
Glad you are enjoying it!
Yes, it is a pay phone.
I looked into this when I realised that I could be documenting the dying days of the great British phone box. They actually changed the criteria for retaining a booth just last year, strengthening the protection a bit.
There are a few cases for keeping them:

• they are in a place without coverage from all four mobile network providers; or
• they are located in an area with a high frequency of accidents or suicides; or
• 52 or more calls have been made from them over the past 12 months; or
• there is other evidence that a phone box is reasonably needed at a site – for example, where it is being used to make calls to helplines such as Childline or Samaritans.

They are pretty good at maintaining them. A while back, the glass was changed in 'my' box. I don't know whether it had been smashed or whether it had just reached a really bad state. I was disappointed at first because it meant the patina of all the beautiful grunge I was shooting through was removed. But it didn't take long to build up to a whole new mess!
Also, the handset was smashed earlier this year and that was replaced pretty soon after.
There is another one about 30 metres away, so I suppose they could decide to remove one of them. Hopefully, it won't be this one!

 

[Pete Askew]

The fisheye shots are great, Chris. I assume you were quite close to the phonebook. I like the colour mirroring in the first, but agree that the third is the strongest and most effective of the series.

I think you are going to have to make a call a week, Chris to ensure this series continues: we can always arrange a whip-round!

The smiling young lady is great and it almost looks like she is in on the shot. The 'withheld' caller is great also.